National Trails Day

As mentioned in Friday’s post[4], this coming Saturday, June 5, is National Trails Day[5].Sponsored by the American Hiking Society, National Trails Day is defined as such:

National Trails Day® is a celebration of trails that evolved from the report of PresidentRonald Reagan's President's Commission on Americans Outdoors. In 1987, the report recommended that all Americans be able to go out their front doors and within fifteen minutes, be on trails that wind through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing steps. The recommendation, dubbed Trails for All Americans, became the impetus behind several public and private parties joining American Hiking Society in launching National Trails Day® in 1993.I think reader "patsrunnylegs"[4] wishes this program has progressed faster in his town!The definition continues…

National Trails Day brings awareness to trails and thanks many people and partners for their support and hard work, including volunteers, land agencies, and outdoor minded businesses. It is also a day to introduce people to the many joys and benefits of trails.Click on the map here[6] to find out how to get involved.In the spirit of National Trails Day...It's worth mentioning that a few ultramarathons around the country require participants to complete a day of trail work before running the race. The Wasatch 100[7], for instance, requires runners to complete eight hours of trail work through their local Forest Service or other trail-maintenance organization before toeing the starting line.

Trail runners (and ultrarunners, in particular, due to the sheer volume of training hours) spend a lot of time on trails that require effort to build and preserve[8], and volunteering to do trail work is a positive way to give back. [Photo courtesy of IMBA.]Also notable, the Vermont 100[9] ultramarathon requires its entrants to complete eight hours of volunteer work at their race or other approved races before toeing the starting line. This might not be directly related to trail maintenance, but it is interesting that races are requiring volunteer work (I realize the oxymoron here: "requiring" and "volunteer").Whether you're racing an ultra this summer or fall or simply enjoying the trails every once in a while, consider taking part in National Trails Day...or volunteering any other day.